Three Takeaways from Virginia Tech's 69-68 loss to Stanford

The Hokies were up 12 with 2:18 left in the game.

Mar 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies forward Tobi Lawal (1) goes to the basket defended but California Golden Bears forward Lee Dort (34) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Stanford erased a late 12-point deficit and defeated Virginia Tech 69-68 in Cassell Colliseum. Here are three takeaways from the game.

1. Virginia Tech collapses in the final two minutes, costing it the game.

The Hokies had a comfortable 12-point lead with just over two minutes to play, but the final stretch unraveled quickly. What had been a good defensive performance for most of the game turned into a flurry of rushed shots and poor decisions that allowed Stanford to come back and seal the win.

"You talk about kicking one," said head coach Mike Young. "A couple of horrendous offensive possessions. Shots are too quick. We need time off the clock. We don't need more points."

Of the 12 points that Stanford scored in the final two minutes, nine of them came thanks to freshman guard Emeka Okorie.

For the first 38 minutes, Virginia Tech played well on the defensive end of the floor and shot the ball well enough to have a multi-score possession over Stanford for most of the game. Neoklis Avdalas shot the ball well, scoring 21. Amani Hansberry had his fourth straight double-double. It was just the final two minutes that sent the Hokies home with a loss.

"It's very frustrating, especially when we were doing everything right the whole game," said Hansberry. "At the end of the game, we started doing some things wrong. Slight mistakes can definitely be frustrating."

2. The Hokies had no answer for Emeka Okorie in the second half.

The freshman out of Nashua, NH, did not seem like he could miss in the second half tonight. Virginia Tech did a nice job in the first half, limiting him to just five points. But in the second half, Okorie was able to start getting baskets to fall, scoring 26 in the final 20 minutes of the game.

"He's a gifted scorer," said Hansberry. "Got to his spots, drew some fouls, saw the ball go in, got to the foul line and got some confidence. Big time players make big time plays."

In the second half, he shot 9-for-12 from the field and also made all five of his free throws.

"Kid is a really smart player and is going to make the right basketball play," said Young. "That's what great players do. They pick their spots, and when it turns on, it turns on, and they're hard to handle."

3. It is good to have Tobi Lawal back in action.

The senior from London, England, Tobi Lawal, returned to playing after suffering a foot injury in late November. The Hokies were cautious with his return, limiting him to 18 minutes off the bench. It was his first time not being in the starting lineup in his career at Virginia Tech.

When he checked in for the game for the first time early on in the first half, he was met with a loud ovation from the crowd. He then got on the board almost immediately, putting back a missed Jaden Schutt jumper.

"Great to see Tobi back," said Young. "Good to have him back in a Hokie uniform. He was, as expected, sluggish. He was searching a little bit, but helped our team, and great to see him back in the lineup."

The Hokies will have to quickly bounce back on Saturday when they host California. Tipoff is at 4:00 p.m. EST, and coverage will be on the ACC Network.